Educate me...

[keralucu]

What with the major hurricanes and tropical storms that have been hitting the Caribbean lately, I was wondering what effect, if any, this kind of weather has on what's below the surface of the ocean? What happens to marine life and reefs while all this damage and chaos is going on above?

 

[Fishkiller]

That the shallow water near shore gets all shifted around due to the water surge, infact the shore gets shifted around.

When I was in San Carlos Mexico the week after Gloria came through there was very little underwater life, two weeks later things were pretty much back to normal, except those areas above 40 feet those dive aareas were swepted clean and were waiting for new inhabitants.

 

[joewr]

Keralucu,

Potentially lots!

There can be reef damage of a major sort: coral, both hard and soft can be damaged; sanding and silting can occur.

I have seen shipwrecks that had been sitting at 30+ fsw for years and, then, during a hurricane were lifted from the bottom and broken in half!

In the short term there can be a very significant loss of vis for days and, even weeks.

It all depends on the velocity of the wind and how long the hurricane lingers.

Joewr...

 

[keralucu]

I wondered how much the bottom could be damaged from something like that... *shudders* the elements are scary forces to be reckoned with. I would hate to be caught in a tropical storm or hurricane.

 

[Walter]

Alison, you never know. Sometime after a hurricane there are no visible changes other times the changes are startling. For example, in 1985 the Eagle was sank off Islamorada in the Florida Keys. The Eagle is a 287' long freighter in 115 feet of water. Hurricane Floyd came through in 1987. Tropical storms came through in 1990, 1991 and 1994. Hurricane Andrew hit hard in 1992. There was little to no damage to the wreck in any of these storms. In 1998 Hurricane Georges came through Key West (about 80 miles away). Although Georges had been a category 4 hurricane (really nasty) it was a catagory 2 storm when it reached Key West. Andrew was a catagory 4 when it blew through at about half the distance. Georges broke the Eagle in half and moved the two sections 12 feet apart. It can be interesting to dive after a hurricane.

WWW™

 

[The Chairman]

Just like Joe's underwear... it "depends"... There is both good and bad done in a hurricane. Unfortunately, we see any altering of the physical environment as "bad" and it is just not so. During these canes, some coral life is re-distributed, which starts coral reefs elsewhere. Large deposits of suffocating sediments in the bays along our coast can be cleaned out in a day, leaving pristine areas for fish spawn. Fossils as well as artifacts can be uncovered. Old growth areas on land can be demolished giving the new growth plants some room to germinate. Just like fire, the importance of hurricanes to our ecology is not fully understood. Yes it changes our physical environment, but that can be a good thing.

:tease:

 

[DivingGal]

Originally posted by Walter
... Hurricane Floyd came through in 1987. Tropical storms came through in 1990, 1991 and 1994. Hurricane Andrew hit hard in 1992. There was little to no damage to the wreck in any of these storms. In 1998 Hurricane Georges came through Key West (about 80 miles away)..... Georges broke the Eagle in half and moved the two sections 12 feet apart. It can be interesting to dive after a hurricane.

sounds interesting indeed.... just another site I'm interested in. So many places to dive...

 

[joewr]

Originally posted by NetDoc
Fossils as well as artifacts can be uncovered.

And, now you know how NetDoc was reborn! As I remember, it was the Wreck of the Depunder from which he was disgorged...

Joewr...looking over his cybershoulder...

 

[keralucu]

... I knew I would learn something interesting here. Being an SEAsian (CAD) diver it is hard to imagine what can happen during a tropical storm as we never really get them over here. Sure we get big storms but the major typhoons don't usually make it down to us.

As for uncovering fossils, or Pete's rebirth... is this what you were talking about, Joe?

aargh... how do you get the pic attachment to show up?? Trying again...

 

[keralucu]

....